The Solution

At the heart of the renovation is a new single-story, pavilion-like connector that links the original two-story farmhouse to a one-and-a-half-story addition. An architectural play on the farmstead “outhouses.” The connector reorients the home’s hub of circulation to the south, serving as the new “front” and entry sequence. 

Clad in white lap siding and a masonry brick plinth to match the original home, the addition becomes a natural extension of the original design. The new front entry porch offers a spacious covered entry with unobstructed, expansive views of the rolling hills of farmland to the south. Architecturally, the porch gives pause to the architecture and proportionally frames the original four-square with the original porch. The addition of the planting bed supports the obstructed views from the porch, allowing for a variety of functions to happen underneath the cedar clad ceiling and its connection to the landscape. 

Inside, the nestled entry and adjacent mudroom / workspace provide a place to decompress and transition from outdoors to in. Salvaged windows and original trim details are preserved and celebrated within. One will be able to experience the old and new. The kitchen—designed for serious home cooks, bake-a-thons, and beekeepers—is now, more than double its original size and features durable, utilitarian finishes; typically found in farmhouses of old. The vertical subway tiles add texture and character, while painted wood cabinetry and oak wood flooring echo the original material palette. The kitchen flows into a pantry corridor leading to the new, accessible, primary suite. A large southern-facing window frames the surrounding farmland, with a deep window bench offering a cozy reading nook. Transom windows above the bed welcome in the soft morning light for serene, daily, wake up calls from the natural world. The bathroom features a spacious, accessible shower for two; being filled with natural light and a curated view of the landscape.

Additional updates to the home were that all the home windows were replaced to improve natural light, scale, proportion, and performance — balancing expansive views with intimate, human-centered design. While replacing the entirety of the siding, more insulation was included to help provide more comfort to the entirety of the home. The renovation blends timeless architecture with practical updates that support comfort, accessibility, and long-term functionality.